The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for separating and supplying a plurality of cylindrical cans, and more specifically relates to an apparatus for separating individually a plurality of cylindrical cans that are received in a contiguous fashion and sending out with stability such cans as received and also relates to a method for separating and supplying such a plurality of cylindrical cans.
Apparatuses for separating and supplying cylindrical battery cans that are received in succession have been long known. An example from such conventional apparatuses is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,041. The exemplified conventional apparatus for separating and supplying cylindrical battery cans is described below with reference to FIG. 4. Suppose a situation, in which cylindrical battery cans move along a high-speed running belt conveyor in a contiguous fashion without any gaps between the cylindrical battery cans. In FIG. 4, a carrying conveyor 32 runs in the direction indicated by an arrow. Cylindrical battery cans 31 are transported on the carrying conveyor 32. The cylindrical battery cans 31 are formed of a ferromagnetic material. A star index wheel 33, a supply index wheel 34a of an automatic machine and a main index wheel 34b of the automatic machine are disposed at a side of the carrying conveyor 32. A plurality of first semi-circular notches 38 are formed around the outer edge of the star index wheel 33 and spaced uniformly, with the radius of each respective semi-circular notch 8 made nearly equal to the radius of the battery can 31. The first semi-circular notches 38 in plurality receive the transported battery cans 31. A plurality of second semi-circular notches 41 are formed around the outer edge of the supply index wheel 34a of the automatic machine and spaced uniformly. A plurality of third semi-circular notches 39 are formed around the outer edge of the main index wheel 34b of the automatic machine and spaced uniformly. Each semi-circular notch of the first semi-circular notches 38, second semi-circular notches 41 and third semi-circular notches 39 receives the transported battery cans 31, respectively. The star index wheel 33 rotates around its center that acts as the rotational center and the center of each respective first semi-circular notch 38 traces a first circular locus. The supply index wheel 34a of the automatic machine rotates around its center that acts as the rotational center and the center of each respective second semi-circular notch 41 traces a second circular locus. The main index wheel 34b of the automatic machine rotates around its center that acts as the rotational center and the center of each respective third semi-circular notch 39 traces a third circular locus. The first locus and second locus are overlapped at the center line of the carrying conveyor 32. The second locus and third locus circumscribe each other. The carrying conveyor 32 is located between the supply index wheel 34a and the main index wheel 34b. The carrying conveyor 32, star index wheel 33, supply index wheel 34a and main index wheel 34b rotate in the directions indicated by arrows at a synchronizing speed, respectively, thereby allowing the battery cans to be transported without a hitch.
The battery can carrying conveyor 32 has a flat belt and a conveyor frame. A permanent magnet 43 is fixed on the conveyor frame, directly below the flat belt at a position between the star index wheel 33 and the supply index wheel 34a, where passing of the battery cans takes place. In order to prevent the battery cans from being ejected out of the first semi-circular circular notches 38, second semi-circular notches 41 and third semi-circular notches 39 due to centrifugal force produced by a high-speed revolution of the index wheels, a first guide 35, second guide 42 and third guide 52 are put in place. More specifically, the third guide 52 is disposed near the rim of the supply index wheel 34a. 
The peripheral shifting speed of the center of the first semi-circular notch 38 is set to a speed slower than the running speed of the belt of the carrying conveyor 3. The shifting speed of the battery cans 31 located on the carrying conveyor in a contiguous way is suppressed momentarily by protrusions 40 formed between semi-circular notches in the star index wheel 33. Then, gaps are created between the outer side surfaces of the adjoining battery cans transported along the carrying conveyor 32 upon having the battery cans 31 released from the protrusions 40. During the period immediately after a battery can 31 is released from a protrusions 40 until the battery can 31 is carried to the second semi-circular notch 41 for being grabbed, the battery can 31 is being sucked by the strong force of magnetic attraction of the permanent magnet 43. The bottom of each respective battery can 31 is pressed onto the belt surface of the carrying conveyor 32 by a combined force produced by the own weight of the battery can 31 and the force of magnetic attraction of the permanent magnet 43. This pressing force multiplies the friction between the belt of the carrying conveyor 32 and the battery case 31, thereby reducing the slippage between the battery can 31 and the belt surface. As a result, shifting of the battery can 31 in position is made smaller. Thus, supplying of the battery cans 31 to the second semi-circular notches 41 of the supply index wheel 34a is carried out.
With the conventional structure as described above, although the traveling path of the battery cans 31 after released from the protrusions 40 in the star index wheel 33 till reaching the second semi-circular notches 41 is small in distance, it is in this traveling path that such a trouble as biting of battery cans and the like is most likely to occur. This kind of trouble results in lowering the availability factor of production lines of batteries and makes one of the serious causes to produce defective part pieces.
Further, an index wheel for separating battery cans by orientation is disclosed in the Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. H3-156850. According to this prior art embodiment, a conventional star index wheel and a circular disc with a built-in permanent magnet are combined by being stacked together along the same axis. However, this prior art technology does not teach an apparatus for separating battery cans and supplying the separated battery cans to the next manufacturing step by having gaps provided between the side surfaces of adjoining cylindrical battery cans.
The present invention provides an apparatus for separating and supplying cylindrical cans, which allows a plurality of cylindrical cans transported along a carrying conveyor in a contiguous way without any gaps between adjoining cylindrical cans to be supplied with stability one by one from the carrying conveyor to a supply index wheel.
An apparatus for separating and supplying cylindrical cans of the present invention comprises:
(a) a carrying conveyor transporting a plurality of cylindrical cans,
wherein the cylindrical cans in plurality are transported in a contiguous way without any gaps between adjoining side surfaces of respective cylindrical cans, and
wherein each respective cylindrical can of above is cylindrical-shaped and formed of a ferromagnetic material;
(b) a star index wheel having a plurality of first semi-circular notches,
wherein the star index wheel is located at a side of the carrying conveyor and rotatable,
wherein the first semi-circular notches in plurality are formed around the outer edge of the star index wheel and spaced uniformly, and
wherein each respective first semi-circular notch of above receives the cylindrical cans individually;
(c) a supply index wheel having a plurality of cylindrical can holders,
wherein the supply index wheel is disc-shaped and rotatable, and wherein each respective cylindrical can holder of above is provided with a permanent magnet individually and the respective permanent magnets are disposed around the outer edge of the supply index wheel so as to have the axis direction of the cylindrical can aligned in parallel to the axis direction of the supply index wheel and to have a first spacing created as a gap between side surfaces of adjoining cylindrical cans of above, thereby allowing the respective cylindrical cans to be held by suction caused by magnetic force from each respective permanent magnet of above; and
(d) a main index wheel having a plurality of transport holders,
wherein the main index wheel is provided with a peripheral edge surface and rotatable, and
wherein the respective transport holders of the transport holders in plurality are disposed on the peripheral edge surface of the main index wheel and spaced uniformly, thereby allowing each respective transport holder to hold cylindrical cans individually.
The star index wheel, supply index wheel and main index wheel are synchronized with one another in rotational speed, the carrying conveyor, star index wheel and supply index wheel are located so as to have the center locus of the first semi-circular notches of the star index wheel and the center locus of the cylindrical cans held by suction on the respective holders of the supply index wheel circumscribed with each other and overlapped on the center line of the cylindrical cans located on the carrying conveyor, and the cylindrical cans held by suction caused by magnetic force to a predetermined position on the supply index wheel are sent out to the main index wheel one by one.
A method for separating and supplying a plurality of cylindrical cans of the present invention comprises the steps of:
(a) transporting a plurality of cylindrical cans along a carrying conveyor,
wherein the cylindrical cans in plurality are transported in a contiguous way without any gaps between adjoining side surfaces of respective cylindrical cans, and
wherein each respective cylindrical can of above is cylindrical-shaped and formed of a ferromagnetic material;
(b) holding the respective cylindrical cans transported along the carrying conveyor around the outer edge of a rotating receiving index wheel with a predetermined spacing provided between adjoining cylindrical cans after having received the cylindrical cans;
(c) holding the respective cylindrical cans held by the receiving index wheel onto a plurality of holders formed on a supply index wheel,
wherein the supply index wheel is disc-shaped and rotatable,
wherein each respective holder of a plurality of the holders is provided with a permanent magnet, and the respective permanent magnets are disposed around the outer edge of the supply index wheel so as to have the axis direction of the cylindrical can aligned in parallel to the axis direction of the supply index wheel and to have a first spacing created as a gap between side surfaces of adjoining cylindrical cans of above, thereby allowing respective cylindrical cans to be held by suction caused by magnetic force from each respective permanent magnet of above; and
(d) holding the respective cylindrical cans held by the supply index wheel onto each respective transport holder of the transport holders in plurality disposed on a main index wheel,
wherein the main index wheel is provided with a peripheral edge surface and rotatable, and
wherein the respective transport holders of a plurality of the transport holders are disposed on the peripheral edge surface of the main index wheel and spaced uniformly, thereby allowing the cylindrical cans held by suction caused by magnetic force at predetermined positions of the supply index wheel to be sent out to the main index wheel one by one.
According to the structure as described in the above, cylindrical cans transported at high speed along a carrying conveyor in a contiguous way without any gaps between adjoining cylindrical cans are provided with a spacing between the side surfaces of adjoining cylindrical cans, thereby preventing the cylindrical cans from becoming unstable due to the interference occurring between adjoining cylindrical cans and feeding the cylindrical cans with reliability to an automatic production machine of cylindrical cans, which is responsible for the production steps that follow. In addition, such a trouble as biting of cylindrical cans that occurs in a supply index wheel is prevented. As a result, the availability factor of the production facilities is enhanced and also product defects are decreased. Furthermore, a simple and less costly apparatus for separating and supplying cylindrical cans having high reliability and a high availability is provided. Moreover, the level of noise made by the apparatus for separating and supplying cylindrical cans is remarkably lowered.